


Cheat

by link621



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-12
Updated: 2005-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26400370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/link621/pseuds/link621
Summary: Seigaku's third years gather at Oishi's house to play with a Ouija board.
Relationships: Kikumaru Eiji/Ooishi Shuuichirou
Kudos: 2





	Cheat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kashewmoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashewmoo/gifts).



The Oishi living room rang from wall to wall with laughter as a particular redhead jumped up in surprise, shaking his finger at the table the third years had gathered around, insisting over and over again that there was just no way – no way -- and that someone had to be cheating and it was probably Fuji because Fuji was a cheater. Amused by all outward appearances, the shorter boy gave a theatrical shrug, moving his hands away from the plastic arrow and glancing over at their captain, ignoring the general antics of the shrieking redhead and his partner trying to calm him down. Tezuka was making that face – that face that meant something that Fuji was simply desperate to figure out, because he made that face at practice sometimes, too. Grumpy, almost, but at the same time just a bit soft, that expression reminded him a bit of an older brother fondly regarding a younger sibling, but trying to look like they were annoyed by childish behavior. Could it be directed at Kikumaru?

Ultimately, it was Kawamura that was able to calm the redhead enough to be seated once more, making quite a show of pouting and saying that the board had to be lying – that they should try again without Fuji (“now, now, Eiji,” spoke Oishi). A few paces from the table, rested on the couch rather then the floor with the others, the tallest of the regulars was taking notes in a green notebook, muttering to himself nearly inaudibly about the results of the questions they had each posed – the questions themselves. But even he paused a moment in his notes to watch the redhead settle back, Kawamura’s hand firmly on the smaller boy’s shoulder, holding him firmly to the floor. For a brief moment, he and Fuji met eyes once more before he went back to his notes, now muttering about Kikumaru’s reaction to being denied by an Ouija board.

“Same as before!” the redhead insisted, putting his hands firmly on the plastic arrow. Once again, the older half of the Golden Pair tried to deter him, but was promptly growled at wordlessly – that kept the eldest of the group silent as Fuji moved to sit by Inui on the couch and Kawamura took the spare spot. Their captain was still making that look, noticed the shortest boy, distant, almost, over the brims of his glasses, as his fingers joined those of Oishi, Kikumaru, and Kawamura on the off-white arrow settled on the special “seeing-eye” symbol near the bottom of the board. “I want the same question as before answered – but correctly this time! Since Fuji’s not going to cheat!” With those words, he turned to his friend of three years and stuck out his tongue, making a soft “nya” noise as he did.

Tapping his lips with two fingers, Fuji pointed out, “You did not ask the board a question, Eiji. It’s not going to answer the question if you don’t ask it.” The effect was immediate – Kikumaru’s hair was almost too pale a shade of red to match the color in his cheeks. Of course, the words had been spoken simply for effect, but Fuji noted the almost sharp glance he received from dark green eyes – apparently so did Inui, the pencil scratching across the page of his notebook to record every glorious moment of their adventure into the world of Ouija boards. Fuji could bet Oishi would never tell his friends that his parents and sister were out of town ever again. Except, maybe… maybe Kikumaru. Though the way the green eyes made a second stop before returning to the Ouija board made the supposed genius ponder a moment, the gears in his quickly turning, before…

Oh. Oh no. Though it would certainly explain what that look meant – the look on Tezuka’s face that was almost distant, yet so inexplicably focused; a look that was stern, but soft as down feathers around the edges. Thinking back – every time, they had been together – touching, or hovering close. That was the look on the captain’s face when Oishi had called his cell from the hospital; it was the look on Tezuka’s face when their eyes met one final time before the stoic boy made his grand exit at the airport. And that look on the vice captain’s face… it was a look nothing like all those expressions reserved just for Kikumaru Eiji – it was not even something that indicated that he was thinking anything beyond honest green eyes or the most pleasant of smiles. It was the look an old man or woman gave their spouse of sixty years over morning tea as they basked together in their retirement.

Very briefly, Fuji’s eyes were open wide and staring – he, himself, did not know that he understood the subtle workings of love well enough to recognize it on the face of another person – or to even understand what the difference between the sorts of love was. All he could say is that this looked to him very much like love… the very thing he had suspected…

“…Fine,” whined out the redhead, the blush still furiously glowing on his cheeks. “Ouiiiija board,” he shyly glanced at his partner, but Oishi’s focus was on their hands, mingling on the plastic arrow. Blue eyes shifted down to their hands as well – Fuji watched curiously, experiencing what would have been a whole new side of Kikumaru to him had they not been through this only moments before the redhead accused his best friend of cheating. “Does somebody in this room love me – that isn’t stupid cheating Fuji?” A smile touched the genius’ lips at that – he had not cheated at all, but he did, indeed love the redhead. Just… not in the way Eiji was trying to ask. Unlike Fuji, Eiji did not seem to understand that the emotion was even multi-faceted; he would not pick up on the old-couple smile his partner gifted their captain with.

As the arrow moved, the redhead became more and more excited – whatever it had spelled out (and Fuji could hazard an accurate guess), it made him leap up, suddenly, and shout something about how he had accomplished what he expected. Oblivious, Kawamura turned to the two on the couch, politely asking if Inui would like to ask a question next – politely declined with a glint of the lenses of the glasses, and a few words that, when they came in consecutive order out of Inui’s mouth, appeared to make the brunette sorry he asked.

Leaning back, the captain inquired, “Oishi, do you have something to drink?” Immediately, he had a response as the vice captain nodded enthusiastically and stood, taking drink orders from everyone – water, sodas, and juice. Kikumaru drawled out something about how Oishi should know what he wanted since he loooooved him, and Fuji was certain his guess had been correct. The older boy shook his head, and muttered something about how he would figure it out before turning to Fuji and asking for his help getting drinks. This left the others, led by Tezuka, to find a new game to play – they were settling on Clue just as Oishi and Fuji fell out of ear-shot.

“So,” Fuji was certain he would have Oishi’s back against the wall with this one – the boy really could be so easy to tease. “You love our Ei~ji, huh?” He mimicked the way Oishi spoke the name, holding the first sound almost awkwardly. And though he waited patiently for the stuttering and the flailing, the older boy just calmly took glasses from the cupboard, setting them on the counter.

“I do,” he replied lightly, tossing a smile at Fuji. “But I cheat.”


End file.
